Yukina's Peril
by HieiYYH
Summary: Yukina's disappeared, and Hiei has to save her before it's too late. Will he make it in time?
1. Chapter 1

"We don't have much rice left," Yukina said as she sat down across Genkai in her dining room.

She replied, "We'll have to get some from the garden then." She froze in place as a demon's energy approached from outside. "Do you feel that?" Yukina nodded. "Stay here," Genkai warned as she ran outside.

"Wait!" Yukina said but stayed put.

Genkai ran to the side of her temple and faced the stairs. She demanded, "Who are you and what do you want?" to the wind. It was far too quiet, even as the wind blew ominously. She waited in the middle of her courtyard for something to happen.

A large, muscular, blue skinned demon that was at least 9 feet tall came out of the forest behind her. He said in a low voice, "Step aside old woman, I'm not here for you."

"Yukina, run!" Genkai shouted.

The demon took his nails and used his demon energy to slice her chest open from a distance. She hit the ground, facing down, and tried getting up to face him. "Stay down," he warned.

"Never," she whispered as she stood back up. He kicked her, hard, knocking her down and out and then moved toward the temple.

"I know there's an ice maiden in there, you can't hide from me," he said menacingly. He cut down parts of the building.

Yukina stood at the far end of the living room and asked nervously, "Who are you? What do you want with me?"

"The name's Ryu," he said as he approached her. Part of the cieling collapsed behind him, blocking any chance for Yukina to escape, "and you must know that old legend that ice maiden blood can cure illness."

She asked, "What?"

"Well, you are rather young," he said, "so it's possible you don't know the legend. That doesn't matter for now, you'll know soon enough." He grabbed her by the face and tried to make her look at him.

"No!" she screamed and shot ice at his arm.

"Ah!" he recoiled, "Stupid little broad, you're not going anywhere!" He sliced the air and cut through her kimono into her lower right leg. Blood spilled everything and stained her kimono and the ground bright red.

She fell to the ground in pain. "No," she whispered as she tried to start healing herself, "please don't do this." He punched her in the head, knocking her out so he wouldn't have to hear her begging and pleading any longer.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kuwabara, Kurama, Yusuke, and Keiko walked along a busy downtown street. Keiko turned to everyone and said, "It's been way too long since all of us got to hang out together."

Yusuke asked, "And when did that ever happen without the threat of death over our heads? Honestly I almost miss it."

"Don't joke about stuff like that, Urameshi," Kuwabara said.

Kurama added, "He's right, Yusuke. We should enjoy the peace and quiet while we can."

"Whoa," Kuwabara stopped in his tracks, "I just got the worst feeling about Genkai."

Yusuke asked, "You don't think she's-do you?"

"We should hurry to her place to put that suspicion to rest," Kurama said.

"So much for peace and quiet," Yusuke said as he turned and started running for the train station, "hurry up and get a move on! It's going to take hours to get there."

* * *

As they ran up the stairs, Kurama explained, "There is definetly a lingering demon energy here. I don't think whoever was here is still around though. They must have left by now."

They reached the top and saw Genkai on the ground. The temple was in disrepair and no demons were in sight. "Genkai!" Yusuke shouted as he ran over to her.

"Where's Yukina?!" Kuwabara shouted, and ran inside what was left of the building.

"Is she okay?" Keiko asked.

She stirred awake and started to sit up. "Hey, take it easy," Yusuke warned, "what the hell happened here?"

Genkai said, "A demon came and demanded to see Yukina."

Kuwabara came back and said, "She's not here. I can't find her. All that's left is a bloodstain on the floor and this." He held up the fabric from her kimono.

"Oh no," Keiko whispered.

"Don't panic," Kurama said, "it sounds like she's been kidnapped. She could still be very much alive but time is not on our side."

Yusuke asked, "Who came here?"

"Some demon," Genkai answered slowly, "I don't know who he is, what he wants, or where is he now. I'm sorry."

Kuwabara said desperately, "That doesn't tell us anything!"

Kurama said, "We have to remain calm, Kuwabara. We'll find her, but we're going to need help." He stood up and looked at Yusuke cradling Genkai.

"You mean Hiei?" he asked.

"We don't need shorty's help," Kuwabara said, "besides, it's not like he would help us without a threat anyway. We have nothing to threaten him with! There's no point."

"I think it's time for the truth," Kurama said, "and Hiei will have to hate me for this later since we don't have any other options at the moment." Yusuke nodded at him. He continued, "Kuwabara, Hiei is Yukina's long lost brother."

Kuwabara went pale and shouted, "What?! No way! I don't believe you!"

Yusuke said, "It's the truth, Kuwabara. He'll do anything for her, including rescue her from whatever situation she's in right now. We need his help. Keiko, take care of Genkai whlie we go to demon world." She nodded and helped Genkai sit up.

"I don't believe this," Kuwabara said, "out of all of the jerky things Hiei's ever done this has to be worst, right? He really is related to her? Why not say anything? She's been looking for him for years!"

"I'm afraid I can't explain his motive," Kurama said calmly.

"We don't have time for this, Kuwabara," Yusuke said, "Hey, Puu! Get your ass out here, we're going to demon world!"

The giant blue bird came out from behind the temple and said, "Puu?"

"Let's move," he said.


	2. Chapter 2

Kuwabara asked, "Are you sure this is going to work?"

Kurama and Yusuke fanned him with giant leaves as Puu stayed off to the side. "Yes," Kurama explained, "Hiei still works the border patrol looking for humans so if someone in his patrol catches your scent they'll come here. Outside of this job he's has alusive as ever. It would take us forever to try to hunt him down in this world."

Yusuke asked, "Isn't he living with Mukuro?"

"No anymore," he replied.

"What were you talking about before?" Kuwabara asked, "I'm not some weak human you know. I doubt this border patrol would even come looking for me."

Yusuke said, "It doesn't matter what strength you are, you're still human and that's what they're after. Hey look!" He pointed to a giant centapead headed their way.

* * *

"Another scent of a human," a demon with a large nose on his face said from the top of the centapead, "11:00."

"Not again," Hiei complained.

He replied, "I smell some demons too. Since killing a human is illegal now under Lord Enki, if we catch them we'll get a reward!"

"Hn," Hiei said, looking away, "do whatever you want."

They moved closer and saw Yusuke, Kurama, and Kuwabara waving them down. At the sight of that, the other demon said, "Great, looks like it's just some idiots pulling a prank. Should we teach them a lesson?"

Hiei said, "Don't bother, I know those idiots...and Kurama." He jumped down to their level, landing on one knee dramatically, stood up, and asked, "What do you want?"

"You punk!" Kuwabara shouted and grabbed him by the collar.

"Kuwabara wait!" Yusuke said.

Kurama said calmly, "Hiei, it's Yukina."

Hiei pulled himself away from Kuwabara and asked, "What about her?"

"She's gone," Kurama explained, "we don't know who took her or why. It's already been hours. She could be anywhere by now." Hiei stared at him in shock.

"Hiei, you punk," Kuwabara said angrily, "what kind of man are you? How could you lie to her all this time? We all know Yukina's been looking for her long lost brother forever. Where are you going?"

Hiei said, "I'll find Yukina myself. Don't bother following me, you'll only get in my way."

Kurama said, "Hiei, you know strength lies in numbers." He disappeared before he could even finish.

"Dammit," Yusuke said, "maybe we shouldn't have told him. What should we do now?"

"Go to spirit world for help," Kurama explained, "it's likely they're still in living world, and spirit world still holds juristiction there. Koenma might be able to tell us where she is or something about this demon that kidnapped her."

* * *

Hiei stood atop a building in the middle of Tokyo and opened his jagan, throwing away the cloth that covered it. _She's still in this world,_ he thought, _and there isn't any talasman cards blocking her energy this time. I should be able to get to her before sundown, easily._ He tracked her energy to an abandonded factory in the mountains off of some old railroad tracks.

As he tried to scan the area surrounding it a headache overcame him. "What was that?" he held his head. He shook his head and started moving in her direction.

He stopped on a road deep in the mountains and looked up at the trees. A horridous feeling came over him, but it couldn't figure out _why._ Was it Yukina? Was it the forest warning him of something? He jumped in, jumping from tree to tree, branch to branch. As he moved forward, his legs got heavier. Landing in trees became harder.

Eventually he landed on the ground, and gave in to walking. "I bet you're wondering what's happening right about now," a demon said as he appeared in front of Hiei. He had long mechanical claws on his hands and two swords around his belt.

Hiei glared at him, making sure this demon didn't catch him off guard. But deep down he wondered, _Where did he come from? Why didn't I sense anything?_

"This forest suppresses demon energy," he explained, "don't worry, once you leave it'll come right back." He grabbed his sword, "Assuming I don't kill you first."

"There's an ice maiden in the building ahead, isn't there," Hiei said, "I'll make this quick." He took off his jacket and revealed his own sword.

"I can't let you do that," he said, "she belongs to all of us now." He charged forward.

Hiei swung for his arm, meaning to cut it off completely however he didn't move as fast as he anticipated. Instead he gave him a long gash, leaving himself open to a deep cut to his left shoulder. As Hiei moved around to his back he tripped and managed to slice him down his back, cutting open his heart and killing him on the spot.

"This forest," he said as the demon fell the ground, "he wasn't joking. This is going to take forever." _He said 'us' before,_ he thought as he slowly stood back up and held his shoulder, _that means there's more of them._ He sheathed his sword and started moving forward.

Becoming more tired as he walked, Hiei practically stumbled through the thickening forest. _I can't believe I'm going through this weakened state again,_ he thought as he clutched his hidden necklace through his shirt. He felt Yukina's necklace in his pocket and remembered when he tried it hand it back to her before.

 _"Keep it," she had said, "I have a feeling it will be better in your hands than in mine." Then walked away as if they hadn't spoken to each other at all in that moment._

He brought himself back to the present and took a knee to rest.

There was suddenly movement all around him. He saw several demons with different length swords in a circle move in. "It's Hiei," one of them whispered. They were all covering their mouths with strange mouth pieces so he couldn't tell who was talking when.

"Look at that," another said, "the great swordman Hiei is on his knees in front of us."

"Quiet," Hiei demanded as he stood up and drew his sword again. _I didn't even hear them coming,_ he thought.

"The forest suppresses the senses once you're this far in," one of them said, "your hearing and eye sight will be weakened next!" They all jumped up, readying for a group attack from the sky.


	3. Chapter 3

"It's not working!" Ryu shouted as he sliced into Yukina again. She recoiled in pain, even though she was chained against the wall, hands over her head in the small dimly lit room.

Yukina pleaded, "If you can't get whatever you want from me then let me go! Please." She tried moving her arms to heal herself but they were chained up tight. She hated the senation of pain and the scent of her own blood filling the room.

He grabbed her forcefully by the face and stared into her eyes. "Those eyes," he said as he realized something, "you're not a full blooded ice maiden, are you? They don't have crimson or blood red eyes, they're always the same color as their hair, this blue green hue you have." He let go of her and examined her and her kimono slowly.

She said, "I don't know what you're talking about." _Maybe if I'm suddenly not good enough for this guy he'll let me go,_ she thought desperately.

"Ice maidens reproduce asexually," he explained, "everyone knows that. You weren't of asexual reproduction, you couldn't have been! That means your mother was naughty, wasn't she? You wouldn't happen to have any siblings, would you?"

She took a breath and said, "No." _Don't drag my brother into this,_ she thought.

"You lie?" he asked and stared her down, "I thought you ice bitches were heartless but I guess since you're not a pureblood you didn't inherit that trait. What's the point of lying about a sibling?" He sliced into her face with his nails.

The door opened suddenly. "Master Ryu, sir," a smaller demon said, "someone is approaching us."

"What? In this forest and mountain range?" he asked, "Who are they?"

"We don't know," he confessed, "seems to be a short demon wearing all black with a sword."

Yukina gasped. _Hiei no!_ she thought.

Ryu asked her, "You know this demon?"

"No," she lied.

He held her by the throat and said, "You sure?"

"I'm sure," she said nervously.

"Good," he replied and released her neck, "that means you won't be sad when we kill him."

"No!" she screamed.

Ryu asked, "Which is it? Do you know him or not?"

"Hardly," she explained sadly, "I only know his name but I don't want him to die! Please, don't kill him." _He'll only fight back harder and kill everyone in sight!_ She thought.

He demanded, "What's his name?"

"Hiei," she answered nervously.

The guard said, "Mukuro's henchman? I thought he was taller. Why would he come here?"

"We'll deal with him, meanwhile you'll stay here and bleed until I think of something to do with you," Ryu said and slammed the door as they left.

* * *

Hiei fell to the ground, out of breath. He slowly raised his upper body and used his sword to hold himself up. He checked behind himself. Every last one of those demons was now laying on the ground, bleeding and dead.

They weren't wrong about the forest weakening his abilities, while his regular eyesight remained the same, his jagan couldn't seek out Yukina's energy anymore. He kept trudging forward with new bruises and cuts.

* * *

"It has to be Ryu," Koenma said to Kurama, Yusuke, and Kuwabara standing before him, "that's the only demon that makes sense."

Kurama asked, "Who's Ryu?"

"He's a powerful demon that's always enjoyed being in living world," Koenma explained, "his breed thrives in Earth's atmosphere but recently I got a report saying he has a serious blood injury. Pure ice maiden blood can cure it."

Kuwabara asked, "Are you for real?"

Yusuke asked, "Where is he now? Yukina should be with him, right?"

Koenma said, "The problem here is that Yukina isn't a pure ice maiden."

"What?" Kuwabara asked.

"Think about it stupid," Yusuke said, "How else would Hiei be her _twin_ brother? Does he look like an ice maiden to you?"

"I still can't believe that punk never said anything," he replied.

Koenma explained, "As I was saying. After Ryu figures this out, he'll either kill her since her blood won't help, or he'll force her to create her tearstones since they are still valueable."

"No!" Kuwabara shouted.

"We can't let that happen!" Yusuke shouted.

Kurama asked, "Where is he now?"

"A magnetic forest to the south of Tokyo," he said, "but listen. That forest suppresses all demon energy. As you get to the center of it hearing and other sensory perception gets warped."

Kurama said, "That means Hiei won't be able to use his jagan."

"He might not even be able to walk by the he gets to her, that's how bad this is," Koenma explained.

Kuwabara asked, "What about humans? Does it do anything to us?"

"Spirit awareness is weakened as well," Koenma said, "it's one of the main reasons that the railroad station and the factorys in that area went out of business. No one wanted to be there."

"We better hurry," Yusuke said.

* * *

Now reeling from his new injuries, Hiei stood across from another foe on the mountain. _Not again,_ Hiei thought as he drew his sword. "I'm surprised you're still moving," the demon said, "demons who haven't trained in this area usually pass out at about this point."

Hiei glared at him.

"Are you too weak to say anything quippy?" he asked mockingly.

"I don't waste my breath on fools like you," Hiei answered and charged forward. While he was moving slower than usual, it was still much faster than any demons usually moved.

The demon dodged him slowly and gave him another cut on his right arm. "You're moving well for someone to come this far," he said as he dodged Hiei again.

Unable to stand any longer, Hiei kneeled on the ground and used his sword to hold himself upright.

"Guess I spoke too soon," the demon said. He stood over Hiei's back and lifted his sword, readying the final attack.


	4. Chapter 4

"About time we got here," Yusuke said, "sure as hell took long enough." He looked up at the trees from the road they were standing on.

"This forest is really creepying me out," Kuwabara said, "I can't sense Yukina here at all. You're sure this is the right place?" He tried looking through the trees but couldn't see anything.

Kurama said, "It's the magnetic field of this area. I'm hoping because I'm in human body it won't bother me as much." He looked over at Yusuke.

He said, "I'm still technically a hybrid, right?" Kurama nodded. "Maybe this won't be so bad."

They started trudging through, trying to make a path since one didn't exist. Yusuke asked, "You think we'll catch up with Hiei?"

"He'll need help," Kurama said, "no matter what happens. This forest is already making my head hurt." He ran his fingers through his hair.

Kuwabara complained, "I'm not even getting anything from the red pinky string of love! This place is messed up!" He looked around, "Hold on, what direction were we going again?"

"Dammit if we get lost we'll look more than pathetic," Yusuke said as he tried to remember which way they just came from.

* * *

The demon raised his sword over Hiei's back. Just as he was about to stab him, Hiei turned around and cut off his head. "Hn," he said, "like I said, I don't waste my breath on fools like you." He struggled to his feet and sheathed his sword again.

The sun began to set as he moved forward. Without his jagan's energy working he couldn't see well enough through the pitch blackness to keep going. He also knew if he stopped at that point the overwhelming feeling of the forest would consume him and he wouldn't be able to move at all. He kept walking.

* * *

"It's pitch black," Yusuke complained, "that sure did happen quick."

"We risk getting lost if we keep moving," Kurama warned.

"We have to spend the night here in this creepy place?" Kuwabara asked, "I can't get a sense of that midget Hiei anywhere either. You don't think he'll sneak up on us in the middle of the night, do you?"

Kurama said, "We can't stop."

Yusuke said, "Yeah, I feel it. If we stop for the night this forest won't let us move in the morning."

"I thought you guys were just saying we'd get lost!" Kuwabara shouted.

Kurama said, "Stay behind me." He took out a seed and created a plant that emitted light. "We'll move slowly and in a straight line through the night."

* * *

Hiei caught his breath as the sun began to rose, and turned and realized it was rising in the wrong spot. "No," he whispered and looked around, "I've been backtracking all this time?" Instead of heading south, he was now heading north. He froze as he heard movement in the trees.

Birds flew away, causing the branches and leaves to make some noise. "You!" another much larger demon guard said behind him, "You're the one that's causing my boss some trouble. You've made it farther than anyone expected." He glared at Hiei.

Hiei demanded, "Tell me where the stronghold that's keeping the ice maiden is and I might let you live."

"Might?" he asked as he drew his sword, "I don't like those odds."

"You'll live then," Hiei said, "but it will be painful no matter what." He lunged forward at a pace he would consider slow.

The demon slashed him down his entire left side, letting Hiei in close enough to cut off his leg and then stumble to the side. "You little!" the demon shouted.

"Tell me or your arm is next," Hiei said, out of breath.

He said, "Foolish demon, you already circled the building twice in your blind haze!" He made his sword come down over Hiei hard.

Unable to move out of the way fast enough, Hiei held his ground with the demons full weight over him and his sword. Hiei pushed up slightly, and then cut the sword in half. The larger piece fell off to the side.

Hiei demanded, "Where is it?"

"To the left, about half a mile!" he said.

Hiei killed him before his dead body could hit the ground. "Still another half mile to go, dammit," he complained as he held his bleeding side.

* * *

"Again?" Ryu complained, "If you want something done right you really do have to do it yourself, just like the saying goes. This Hiei guy is stronger than I thought." He walked away from the screen that showed his guard's dead body. He walked into the room where Yukina was being held and said, "Looks like your boyfriend is on his way."

"What?" she asked, "Who are you talking about?"

He said, "That black haired little runt with a sword."

"He's not my boyfriend," she explained, "I told you, I only know his name. That's all."

"He must know more about you than that to risk bleeding to death just to find you," Ryu said coldly, "who is he to you? Why is he coming here?"

Yukina said, "I don't know what you're talking about. What do you mean risk bleeding to death? What did you do to him?"

"He might have killed off my guards," Ryu explained, "but their blades were covered in poison. He'll be dead by midnight even if he does make it here."

"How could you do such a thing?" Yukina asked sadly, holding back her tears because she knew what they were worth.

He said, "No one reacts like that over a name of someone they hardly know. Who is he to you? If you don't tell me you get more scars on your delicate body." He drew his sword and stared her down.

"I think," she confessed, "he's my brother. I honestly don't know. I'm not sure if he knows either."

"Oh he knows," he said, "why else would he come all of this way? As for you, I don't need you anymore. You and your little tearstone gems can rest in hell." He hit her so hard she went limp and started bleeding from her mouth.


	5. Chapter 5

Hiei stumbled ahead slowly, unable to keep his pace steady any longer. He stopped, realizing he finally found the abandonded factory near railroad tracks in a clearing. _I should hurry before I get any dizzier,_ he thought as he moved slowly forward. As he approached the building, the worst feeling came over him again and once again he couldn't figure out why.

He couldn't use his jagan and couldn't hear anything out of the ordinary going on around him. He pushed a door open and saw nothing but an abiss of blackness. He held onto his sword tight and stepped inside. The door wouldn't stay open, and shut behind him.

A heavy weight crashed against his head, knocking him out cold.

* * *

"Since the sun rose over there in that direction and is moving that way," Kurama said as he tried adjusting them, "we're definetly heading in the right direction now." He pointed south.

Kuwabara said, "I could have told you that. I can't even make my spirit sword or sense that you two are beside me right now." He looked around nervously but no matter what he did he couldn't gain his bearings.

Yusuke said, "You don't have to tell me. I think someone's coming." He tried listening to the forest but couldn't hear much.

In an instant, there were three demons surrounding them with large swords drawn and ready for an attack. Before anyone could say anything, they all attacked at once. Without his spirit sword, Kuwabara dodged and punched the one after him into the ground with relative ease.

Yusuke tried to created a spirit gun, but nothing happened. He kicked that demon away and threw a rock at his sword, disarming him completely.

Kurama was instantly pinned on the ground, sword close to his face. The only thing he could do was hold the hilt of the sword and hope the demon lost strength before he did. "Kurama!" Yusuke shouted.

Instead of panicking, Kurama grabbed a sharp stick from under himself and stabbed the demon with it through the heart. "Whoa," Yusuke said, "where did you grow that?"

As Yusuke helped Kurama to his feet, he answered, "I didn't, I found it on the ground. Are you alright, Kuwabara?"

"Yeah, fine now," he said, "but I can't even make a small spirit sword. We have to find Yukina right away you guys. Come on!"

* * *

Hiei woke up with shakles around his wrists, and they were forced over his head in a "Y" shape. He was chained to the wall and his sword was gone. He looked around and saw a opening of a balcony ahead of him. It circled the room, with another story above him and above that one. His eyes ajusted to the dim light as he looked up and saw a skylight.

"So you're Hiei the swordsman," Ryu said from the top floor, across from him, "don't even try to get out. The magnetic field dampening this place is the strongest at this point."

"Where's-" Hiei choked, unable to get the worlds fully out. He started trembling uncontrollably for no reason.

Ryu said, "I know why you're here, oh so aloof one." He disappeared and reappeared with a limp Yukina in his arms and dangled her over the railing.

"No!" Hiei shouted.

"You're too late!" Ryu said, "She was worthless to me, so I finished her off." He dropped her.

With strength he didn't know he had left, he broke the shackles holding him down. He jumped over the railing and caught Yukina in mid air. He landed on the balcony on the otherside and examined her, completely horrifed and angry. "No," he whispered, "she can't..." his voice trailed off once he saw she wasn't moving. He took her necklace out of his pocked and put it around her neck, holding it in his hand. Then he saw a few tears leave her eyes and fall to the side, turning into tearstones instantly. [Like in the picture.]

 _She's breathing,_ he thought, "She's alive," he whispered, relieved. He sighed a great relief, not realizing he had been holding his breath.

"You," Ryu said as he suddenly appeared behind Hiei, "you really are related to her." He slashed through Hiei's back diagonally and watched the blood spill.

Hiei grimanced in pain and protected Yukina as best as he could. "Dammit," he whispered in pain, unable to move.

"It's working!" Ryu shouted as he cut himself with his own sword, "Your blood mixed with hers, you really are part ice maiden."

"Don't relate me to those evil women," Hiei threatened and felt the heaviness and dizzyness from before start to consume him again.

"Yukina?!" Kuwabara shouted from the ground level, "Are you here? Say something, my love! I can't sense a thing here!"

"Would you stop shouting?" Yusuke said.

Ryu jumped down from the balcony and confronted them. "You've all wrecked enough havoc around here. Now you're powerless."

Hiei heard the fighting happening on the ground. He carefully lifted Yukina's torso and struggled to his feet, carrying her unconsious body in a bridal carry.

Trying not to let the dizziness from bloodloss overtake him completely, he found the stairs off to the side. He took one step at a time, careful not to hurt Yukina in the process of walking down them. Once he reached the bottom he saw Kuwabara make the finishing blow on Ryu. Yusuke and Kurama could barely move, just like him.

"Alright!" Kuwabara shouted, "Where's-" He stopped in shock.

"Hiei, is she okay?" Yusuke desperately asked.

"Yukina!" Kuwabara shouted, completely horrifed.

Hiei said softly, "She's alive..." then he felt his legs collapse from his weight. He let Yukina hit the ground gently and fainted beside her.

"Hiei!" Kurama shouted and struggled by his side. Kuwabara crouched over Yukina nervously. "They've only fainted," he said calmly.

Yusuke asked, "So they're going to be okay?"


	6. Chapter 6

"I don't know," Kurama said, "Hiei's blood doesn't smell right."

Kuwabara asked, "What are you talking about?"

"He's been poisoned," he explained, "and in my current state inside of this magnetic forest dampening my demon energy I can't tell you what kind of poision. If he doesn't get an antidote soon he'll die no matter what we do."

Yusuke asked as he stumbled over, "Can't you heal him right here?"

"I don't have access to my energy," Kurama explained, "otherwise it would be a simple matter. We have to get him out of here as soon as possible, but it took us over a day to get here in the first place. He might not have that long." He looked at Hiei nervously.

Yusuke said, "Then we'll get him out of here faster." He took out his communication mirror and called Botan.

Kuwabara asked, "Do you think Yukina's been poisioned too?"

"No," he answered, "her blood doesn't smell tainted."

* * *

At Genkai's temple hours later, Yusuke, Kurama, and Kuwabara showed up. Botan explained, "I barely got him here in time. It was exactly the poision you suspected, Kurama." She looked at him and then back at the temple that was still falling down.

Kuwabara asked, "Is Yukina alright?"

"She's still asleep," she answered.

"Let her have her rest, Kuwabara," Kurama said.

* * *

Stiff from not moving, Yukina opened her eyes and struggled to sit up. An overwhelming sense of calm overcame her. She looked down and saw that she was wearing her mother's necklace. "Hiei," she said and looked beside her to see him fast alseep.

 _She remembered what Ryu said before, "No one would risk death over the name of someone they hardly know."_

She whispered, "It true, you really are my brother." She looked at his chest and saw him wearing his own tearstone necklace.

The door opened and Genkai appeared. "Do you need anything?" she asked as she brought tea in and set the tray down on the ground.

"No," she answered, "I wonder how long he's known about me."

"You'll have to ask him when he wakes up," she replied as she stepped back outside and closed the door behind her.

Yukina started healing Hiei's injuries with her energy. "All of these slash marks and bruises," she said slowly, "it must have been terrible trying to get to me. I'm sorry for being such a pain." Hiei stirred awake and opened his eyes. "Hiei!"

"Where are we?" he asked as he sat up and looked around.

"Genkai's temple," she explained, "you saved me, thank you so much! I do have a question for you. Do you know who I am to you?"

He scoffed and asked, "What is that supposed to mean?"

"You're my brother," she said bluntly, "and I've known it for a few years now. I knew you were familiar to me as soon as we met and it's felt like someone's been watching me ever since. I know it's been you and your gifted eye."

He asked, "You've known this whole time?"

"I think so," she confessed, "Your energy was so familiar when we first met, that I had to go to spirit world in order to find out who you were. They keep track of every demon in this world-at least, they did before the barrier went down. I found your file."

Hiei tried to stand up but pain shot through his side. He stayed still and said, "So you've been playing the fool this whole time."

Yukina said, "Stay still, you're still injured. I didn't know if you knew about me. I didn't want to explain everything to you since it was so horrible. Rui told me some things, how she threw you to your death and knew you could understand everything, but I didn't think you'd remember. How did you figure out I was your sister?" She started healing his side. "That's the only thing I can't figure out."

"I went back," he confessed, "to ice world. You had already left years before and I met Rui again. She told me your name and I set out to find you."

"Why?" she asked.

"What do you mean why?" he asked harshly, "We're related, aren't we?"

"But you're supposed to be some kind of ruthless killer, right?" she asked, "No remorse for his actions whatsoever. I read that about you, you know. You killed so many for no reason. Then you pretended not to know who I was once we did meet. How could you be so cruel?"

Hiei tried to stand up again as he said, "You read my file. You've known what I've done. You don't need someone like that in your life." He sat back down unwillingly, feeling the ache in cuts and bruises.

Yukina watched him and said, "You're afraid."

"Don't be absurd," he said coldly, "I've never been afraid of anything in my life."

"You're scared I'll reject you as a brother, just like the ice maidens rejected you from their society when you were born," she said as she realized what was happening all this time, "Hiei I'd never-"

He said, "You can save your breath." He tried standing up again but still had a hard time. "Why can't I move?"

"Ryu told me he poisioned you," she said, "it must still be working it's way out of your system. You were attacked badly by his guards. Let me help you."

"I thought you were dead," he confessed, "when I first woke up in that dark building, he dangled your limp body in front of me as if I failed and it was too late to save you."

"I'm sorry," she said sadly, "I didn't know."

"It's not your fault," Hiei said as he looked away from her, "don't blame yourself, you had no idea what he was doing." He didn't bother trying to stand up again, knowing he would only fail.

Yukina smiled and said, "All this time it's been a simple misunderstanding. We knew who we were all along to each other. We're more than just a name."

"What?" he asked.

"Ryu demanded to know who you were so I told him you were just a name to me," she replied, "but I've always known you've been so much more than that."

Hiei realized in that moment that he actually knew her personally. Yukina was more than just a name to him as well.

* * *

The End


End file.
